


A Matter Of Seconds

by bittersweetrecovery



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Stiles, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, publisher lydia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 09:55:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2063697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittersweetrecovery/pseuds/bittersweetrecovery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternative universe Stiles Stilinski is a comic book artist and writer who's desperately trying to get published. He discusses yet another with idea with publisher Lydia Martin and this idea might just be the one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Matter Of Seconds

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt I got through tumblr: "PROMPT!!!!! Lydia is a super awesome publisher and Stiles is a comic book artist/writer who wants to get published."

“You’re kidding me, right?” Lydia Martin looks up from the front page of the rough draft of Stiles Stilinski’s newest idea for a comic book.

“What? You don’t like it?” He furrows his brows at her and she sighs deep, hating to admit it.

“The art’s good but this title,” she says hesitating for a minute. “It’s awful.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“ _Teen Wolf_ , Stiles. Seriously? It’s a bit cheesy, don’t you think?” She flips through the first couple of pages, the art is good as it always is but what is that now? Who is the best friend supposed to be? Is that supposed to be..?

“And this,” she points to the sarcastic sidekick. “Is this supposed to be you?” Stiles scratches the back of his neck and it turns slightly red as a flush creeps up on him.

“Maybe,” he says slowly meeting her eyes across the desk. They’re sitting in her office for what seems like the millionth time as they discuss his millionth idea for a new comic book series. His art has always been remarkable, every detail seems thoroughly thought out as if he’s been watching his inspiration for ages trying to pinpoint their specific features and make them as realistic as possible. However where his art is incredible, his storylines are lacking creativity and originality.

“Why didn’t you make yourself the protagonist? The hero?” Stiles looks at her with those amber eyes of his as if trying to figure out if she’s joking or not. He seems to decide she isn’t and what he says next somewhat surprises her.

“I’m not exactly hero material.” Lydia holds his gaze for a long time as she takes in the young man before her. He’s got everything it takes to be your typical 21st century hero. He doesn’t have superpowers but he’s intelligent with a natural perception of people and their intentions although he doesn’t necessarily know exactly what that perception is all about. He’s fiercely loyal to his friends and family as far as she knows and his unflinching dedication to his work and the constant belief that one day Lydia’s going to accept one of his ideas – that kind of hope is hard to hold on to. He’s quick-witted, sarcastic and doesn’t take much bullshit from anyone yet he’s flawed. The sarcasm is smoke-screen for a deeply rooted insecurities that he doesn’t want anyone to see, he tries to please and smiles when he’s disappointed, pretends he’s okay with it when he really isn’t and he feels hopeless sometimes and that’s where his real strength shows – that despite everything he still hopes. He’s only human.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” she says after a while and finally sits down in her desk chair. Stiles sits down in one of the two grey chairs on the other side of the desk opposite her. “It’s a solid idea, there’s potential here. It has the possibility to be big and like I said the art is incredible, the storyline contains a mystery that needs solving, danger and normal teenage concerns. You’re onto something here, Stiles but that title needs changing – the more I look at it, the more awful it gets.”

“You’re serious?” His amber eyes are laced with concern. He runs a hand nervously through his dark brown hair so it points in more directions than hair should be able to point.

“I’ll take it up with the bosses but I think we’ve got a shot.” She says  _we_  without meaning to but when she sees him beam at her, it somehow makes it okay. His smile is crooked, she notices for the first time turning slightly up in one side and reveals a small dimple there. To distract herself from the ridiculously handsome face of his, she looks through the draft of the comic. There are about thirty pages or so and at around page sixteen, there is a character by the name of Lexi, she studies the character’s red hair, the green eyes and the,  _oh my god_!

“Is this supposed to be me?” Lydia holds up the draft, which is held together by very unreliable stables and points to the redheaded character. She studies his face as the flush spreads from his neck to his ears and to his cheeks; he looks around the office uncomfortably. For a while he doesn’t look at her, not even when he finally answers.

“Uh yeah.” He slowly turns his face back to her, looking her straight in the eye. “I made her a banshee but she doesn’t know it yet. Won’t for a while but the other characters will know something’s up. Something’s different about her.”

“A banshee?” He nods. “What’s that?”

“Uh,” he scratches the back of his neck absentmindedly. “It’s a Wailing Woman, her scream is a warning of a death to come. It’s from Irish folklore actually, my friend Allison was a European History major in college – told me all about it. Her name, Lexi, means ‘Defender of Mankind’. It seemed fitting.” Stiles shrugs but doesn’t look the least bit casual.

“If a banshee warns about death why would defender of mankind be fitting?” Stiles smiles.

“Because eventually she’s going to try to save these people before it happens.”

“Do you know what my name means?”

“Lydia means  _beautiful_  or  _noble one_. Martin means  _warlike_  which is also fitting because going into an argument with you is a losing battle before it’s even begun. That was a compliment by the way and no, I did not spend excessive amounts of time memorizing that, it just sticks.”

“Okay,” she says. Shy smile. “Well, I have a meeting with the bosses in about an hour so I will present your idea, see what they say and get back to you. Maybe over coffee tomorrow?” Stiles looks surprised but gets up and walks with Lydia out of her office and towards the elevator. They stop in front of it where Stiles presses the button and waits for it to arrive. He looks at her for a minute, making her palms sweaty.  _Is her heart pounding? No, that’s ridiculous._  The crooked smile appears at the corners of his lips and he nods.

“Sure.” The elevator arrives, the doors slide open and the people already inside leave it and scatter around the floor, disappearing behind corners. He steps toward the elevator but seems to change his mind, turns back and places a gentle kiss on Lydia’s cheek. As the elevator doors close, he sends her a broad smile and she touches the place where his soft lips connected with her cool skin. She reminds her heart to slow down its beating to a regular tempo.

In a matter of seconds things between Lydia Martin and Stiles Stilinski had changed.


End file.
